Adventures in Frugality

So, the time went... Where exactly??

Happy 2011!!  I didn't realize it had been since August since I posted.  I thought it had been more like, you know... Octoberish.  Oops.

You know how everyone this time year is saying "New Year, New You", talking about fresh starts, etc. etc.? I've never had a New Year's resolution before.  My opinion is, why make a resolution for the new year when you haven't changed anything you intended to change LAST year?

Well, of course, in my ongoing quest to go green, I'm also looking to do such things as pay off my credit card bills, stash some money away, maybe not have to live paycheck to paycheck.  Right now I have way more credit card debt than I care to admit, no money stashed away, and I can't wait for my next paycheck to come because maybe then I'll have a little breathing room.  Seriously?  This is the most stressful way to live EVER and I'm sick of it.

SO!  Onward and upward.  I pretty much just want to make 2011 way better than 2010 was.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to do a little bit each day to work towards my goals.  And now we come to the title of my post for today:

ADVENTURES!  IN!  FRUGALITYYYYY!
(Say the above like the announcer on the Muppet Show says PIGS!  IN!  SPAAACE!)

:Clears throat: so, here we go.

Adventure #1:  I have learned to make my own laundry soap.  Actually, I started doing this one at the end of last year and found that 1.) the ingredients to make laundry soap are WAY cheaper than even a small bottle of commercial laundry detergent.  2.) Homemade works just as well as commercial laundry detergent and doesn't smell like a flower farm threw up on my clothes (or a fruit farm, or a fresh meadow, or "clean air" which what-the-eff-how-do-you-even-bottle-THAT by the way).  3.) Less is used per load to get clothes clean because it's not all chemicals and fragrance and blech, it's pretty much just soap, water, and a few other incidental household ingredients... so it's even cheaper to use than commercial laundry detergent.  I highly, highly recommend searching the internet to find a recipe that suits your needs.

Adventure #2:  Roasting chickens!  Again, this started last year when my mom got me a roasting pan for Christmas (THANKS MOM!).  I roasted a chicken last weekend and after myself, Boyfriend, and Roommate devoured every last scrap of meat off of the bird I put what was left in the fridge.  Why, you ask? Well I have 10 cups of chicken stock sitting on my stove right now.  I have no idea how it's turned out, or if it was even worth it yet... but if it was then I just made 10 cups of chicken stock for basically free.  I think I paid $8 for my chicken (~5lbs), so we'll figure it was around $3 each for dinner (after making my own gravy and whipping up some mashed potatoes from a box).  And then I essentially, a gross as this sounds, took what everyone else considers trash, added some herbs and spices from my cabinet, and garlic and onion from my fridge, and tada!  Chicken stock to freeze, then thaw and use as needed.

Adventure #3:  To start today. Making my own bread instead of purchasing it a the store.  Bread is way over priced, and why?  Because some dude with a name I recognize made it?  I'm going to make delicious honey wheat bread today and cross bread off the shopping list for the week (unless, of course, said homemade bread does not turn out as planned which has definitely happened in the past.  In that case... back on the list you go, bread.  Back on the list you go).

I have a lot more stuff that I'm trying to do, and that I'm working on... but I'll have to come back to that later, as I have laundry in the washer, stock to be strained, bread to make and an inordinate amount of housework to complete.